Preparing for the Mekong
It is 7:00 am and I am sitting in my bunk bed typing in the dark. Morning workout begins in 30 minutes. My room consists of Kyle, Claire, Morgan, Katie, Charlotte, and Michelle. Each girl has a curtain on their bunk, and I can hear them slowly beginning to wake. Next door is the boys’ bunk room. I noticed Tino was sleeping outside on the deck.
Lijiang
We are staying in “the Ancient City Hostel.” Ancient City Lijiang is like nothing I have ever experienced. It is kind of like China and Tibet meets Gatlinburg. The streets are smoothly polished stones dating back several hundred years. Everywhere you look there are shops full of vibrantly colored crafts: brushes made from horns, swords, Budha statues, colorful clothing, restaurants, carved items from everything know to man. People in Tibetan dress are everywhere you look.
A small stream flows through it all. The shops wind and turn down every ally, and it is a never-ending maze of a shopper’s dreamland.
Classes
We had classes yesterday in our hostel and around the area. I assigned Sam and Sean in US History to interview English speaking tourists with this question, “What is your impression that US media makes on US citizens?” This seemed like a great opportunity as we covered the subject of media and propaganda. Other classes will meet near the creek or in our restaurant. Leadership students brainstormed and made action plans to research cool activities they would like to do in the Lijiang area.
Afternoon Activity
Yesterday, mentor teams broke off into groups with the goal of creating six scavenger hunt items. This morning we will announce the items and each team will look for the unique items throughout the day. Little things like this keep our days exciting. Here are some of the items we are seeking: a living three headed fish, Pooh Bear holding red bird, The Octopus Pill, Dashiqiao Bridge, and white and black stuffed yaks.
Today after school, we are renting bikes for 20 yuan ($1US= 7.5 yuan). We will then ride with a guide to a monastery.
The Mekong River
I met with Jed Weingarten last night for dinner. Sean’s boat had just arrived to Lijiang and we expect Tyson’s in a day or two. If it does not arrive prior to the Mekong then Jed will loan us equipment.
Tomorrow we will have classes until lunch and then pack for the trip. At around 2:00 pm we will drive to a mountain base near Dulquin and climatize for the night at 10,800 feet elevation. On Wednesday we will have an 8-hour drive over a 15,000 foot pass. This drive has been noted as spectacular and one with many photogenic stops. As we drive we will eat traditional dishes at local restaurants. The stops are needed for the acclimation process. On Thursday we will put on the Mekong River for a six-day expedition.
Since, Jed and Levin are taking care of food and river logistics it is allowing us to have a stable school environment and catch up on some rest prior to our high elevation adventure. Everyone is super excited with all of the culture surrounding us.